Blind cricket
Encyclopedia
Blind cricket is a version of the sport
of cricket
adapted for blind and partially sighted
players. It has governed by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) since 1996. So far, three Blind World Cups have been held, New Delhi
, India
(1998); Chennai
, India (2002) and Islamabad
, Pakistan
(2006).
organization were cricketers, and the association is the administrative body for the sport within the United Kingdom
.
with some essential modifications.
In terms of playing equipment, the major adaptation is the ball, which is significantly larger than a standard cricket ball
and filled with ball bearings. The size allows partially sighted players to see the ball and the contents allow blind players to hear it. The wicket
(stumps) is also larger, to allow partially sighted players to see and blind players to touch it in order to correctly orient themselves when batting or bowling.
Various other modifications to the rules apply. Verbal signals are widely used both by umpires and players: in particular, the bowler must shout 'Play!' as he releases the ball. The delivery is required to pitch at least twice when bowled to a completely blind batsman (once when bowled to a partially sighted batsman), but must not be rolling. Totally blind batsmen cannot be out
stumped
, and must be found to be LBW
twice before going out. Totally blind fielders are allowed to take a catch on the bounce.
.
, with teams playing regular fixtures in the states of Queensland
, New South Wales
, Victoria
, South Australia
and Western Australia
, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory
. Every two years State cricket teams meet for the Australian Blind Cricket Championships. The 31st National Blind Cricket Championships will be held in Queensland in 2012.
A return series of 5 matches was held in Sydney, Australia, in December 2008. The series results show another victory for England, winning 3-0. England won the first, third and fourth matches, with the second rained out, and the final match a surprising 331 run draw.
, Melbourne in 1928 and is still used today as the home of the VBCA.
The Association now has four clubs and approximately 70 vision impaired and blind members and several volunteers.
Current clubs:
The Victorian Blind Cricket Association is located in the Charlie Bradley Pavilion, at the rear of 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong VIC 3144 (opposite the Kooyong Tennis Stadium Kooyong Stadium
). Games are played on Saturday afternoons from October through to March and spectators are most welcome.
The VBCA provides an important role in the community by developing and providing opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired to enjoy the recreational and social benefits of cricket. Additionally, the VBCA participates in cricket matches against sighted opposition in keeping with the philosophy of integration and working to remove barriers and isolating influences of having limited vision.
The ongoing aims and objectives of the VBCA are as follows:
Today the WBCC has 10 full members namely Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
George Abraham
of India is the founding Chairman of the WBCC. Under his leadership, the inaugural Blind Cricket World Cup was held in New Delhi in November 1998. Seven countries participated. South Africa defeated Pakistan in the final while India and Australia were the two semi-finalists.
The second Blind Cricket World Cup was held in Chennai, India in December 2002. Pakistan defeated South Africa in the finals.
Peter Donovan of Australia took over as Chairman in 2004.
Pakistan hosted the third World Cup in Islamabad 2006 under the able leadership of Aga Shaukat-Ali, President of Pakistan Blind Cricket Council. Pakistan beat India in the final.
In November 2008, George Abraham was re-elected as President of the WBCC.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
adapted for blind and partially sighted
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
players. It has governed by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) since 1996. So far, three Blind World Cups have been held, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(1998); Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India (2002) and Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
(2006).
Within the United Kingdom
The founding members of the British Blind SportBritish Blind Sport
British Blind Sport is a British charity that makes sport and recreational activities accessible to people who are visually impaired. The charity enables blind and partially sighted people to experience the same sporting opportunities as sighted people...
organization were cricketers, and the association is the administrative body for the sport within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
UK rules
The rules of blind cricket are based on the standard Laws of cricketLaws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
with some essential modifications.
In terms of playing equipment, the major adaptation is the ball, which is significantly larger than a standard cricket ball
Cricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
and filled with ball bearings. The size allows partially sighted players to see the ball and the contents allow blind players to hear it. The wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
(stumps) is also larger, to allow partially sighted players to see and blind players to touch it in order to correctly orient themselves when batting or bowling.
Various other modifications to the rules apply. Verbal signals are widely used both by umpires and players: in particular, the bowler must shout 'Play!' as he releases the ball. The delivery is required to pitch at least twice when bowled to a completely blind batsman (once when bowled to a partially sighted batsman), but must not be rolling. Totally blind batsmen cannot be out
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
stumped
Stump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
, and must be found to be LBW
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
twice before going out. Totally blind fielders are allowed to take a catch on the bounce.
United Kingdom
Two domestic competitions are run: the two-division BBS Cricket League, based around single-innings matches played around the country throughout the cricket season; and the BBS Primary Club National Knockout Cup, a knockout competition of limited-overs matches held each August at Lord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Australia
Blind cricket is widely played in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with teams playing regular fixtures in the states of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
. Every two years State cricket teams meet for the Australian Blind Cricket Championships. The 31st National Blind Cricket Championships will be held in Queensland in 2012.
United Kingdom v Australia
The first Blind Cricket Ashes competition was held in England in August 2004. 5 matches were played, with England winning the Ashes by 3 games to 2.A return series of 5 matches was held in Sydney, Australia, in December 2008. The series results show another victory for England, winning 3-0. England won the first, third and fourth matches, with the second rained out, and the final match a surprising 331 run draw.
Victorian Blind Cricket Association (VBCA)
The Victorian Blind Cricket Association (VBCA) is the home of blind cricket in Victoria. Blind cricket was invented in Melbourne in 1922. The world's first sports ground and clubhouse for blind people was developed at Kooyong Kooyong, VictoriaKooyong, Victoria
Kooyong is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Kooyong had a population of 781....
, Melbourne in 1928 and is still used today as the home of the VBCA.
The Association now has four clubs and approximately 70 vision impaired and blind members and several volunteers.
Current clubs:
- Burwood Blind Cricket Club
- Glenferrie Lions Blind Cricket Club
- Institute Blind Cricket Club
- St. Paul's Blind Cricket Club
The Victorian Blind Cricket Association is located in the Charlie Bradley Pavilion, at the rear of 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong VIC 3144 (opposite the Kooyong Tennis Stadium Kooyong Stadium
Kooyong Stadium
Kooyong Stadium, at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, is a tennis venue, located in Melbourne, Australia. The stadium was built in 1927 and has a capacity of 8,500....
). Games are played on Saturday afternoons from October through to March and spectators are most welcome.
The VBCA provides an important role in the community by developing and providing opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired to enjoy the recreational and social benefits of cricket. Additionally, the VBCA participates in cricket matches against sighted opposition in keeping with the philosophy of integration and working to remove barriers and isolating influences of having limited vision.
The ongoing aims and objectives of the VBCA are as follows:
- To further promote the game of Blind Cricket in Victoria
- Provides sport, fitness, and physical recreation opportunities for individuals of all ages who are legally blind
- Aims to improve the physical capabilities and self-confidence of individuals who are blind, visually impaired
Blind Cricket New South Wales (BCNSW)
Blind Cricket New South Wales (BCNSW) is the home of blind cricket in New South Wales.World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC)
The WBCC was established in 1996 during an international cricket meeting held in New Delhi, India in September 1996. The WBCC was set up with the objective of promoting and administering the game of blind cricket globally.Today the WBCC has 10 full members namely Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
George Abraham
George Abraham (India)
George Abraham is founding Chairman of the World Blind Cricket Council and the Association for Cricket for the Blind in India . He is founder of the SCORE Foundation, New Delhi.-Early years:...
of India is the founding Chairman of the WBCC. Under his leadership, the inaugural Blind Cricket World Cup was held in New Delhi in November 1998. Seven countries participated. South Africa defeated Pakistan in the final while India and Australia were the two semi-finalists.
The second Blind Cricket World Cup was held in Chennai, India in December 2002. Pakistan defeated South Africa in the finals.
Peter Donovan of Australia took over as Chairman in 2004.
Pakistan hosted the third World Cup in Islamabad 2006 under the able leadership of Aga Shaukat-Ali, President of Pakistan Blind Cricket Council. Pakistan beat India in the final.
In November 2008, George Abraham was re-elected as President of the WBCC.
Association for Cricket for the Blind India (ACBI)
The ACBI was set up in 1996. George Abraham is the founder of the registered voluntary body. Its objectives are to use competitive cricket to teach the blind to look at life positively, gain in confidence and strive to be winners rather than dependents; and to use the game as a medium to transmit the message of ability and talent to the society. The ACBI organised the first two Blind Cricket World Cups in 1998 and 2002.External links
- Blink Cricket Nepal
- Blind Cricket UK
- Pakistan Blind Cricket Council
- Victorian Blind Cricket Association
- Queensland Blind Cricket Association
- Blind Cricket New South Wales
- World Blind Cricket Council
- Pakistan Blind Cricket Council
- Cricket World Cup for Blind 2006 held in Pakistan
- Pakistan wins blind cricket World Cup 2006
- Blind Cricket Ashes series, Sydney, December 2008